Peer Review of Scientific Information

Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat for Louisiana Black Bear (Ursus americanus luteolus)

About the Document

Title: Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat for the Louisiana Black Bear (Ursus americanus luteolus)

Summary:  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), is proposing to designate critical habitat for the Louisiana black bear under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).  Concurrently, we are withdrawing our December 2, 1993, proposal for Louisiana black bear critical habitat (58 FR 63560).  In total, approximately 1,330,000 acres (538,894 hectares (ha)) fall within the boundaries of this proposed critical habitat designation.  The proposed critical habitat is located in Avoyelles, East Carroll, Catahoula, Concordia, Franklin, Iberia, Iberville, Madison, Pointe Coupee, Richland, St. Martin, St. Mary, Tensas, West Carroll, and West Feliciana Parishes, Louisiana.

      Type of Review:  Influential

Timeline of the Peer Review:  Peer review will likely occur between May and July 2008.   

     Draft document disseminated:  May 6, 2008
    
     Peer review initiated:  May 6, 2008

      Peer review completed by:  July 7, 2008

      Date Document will be finalized:  February 26, 2009

About the Peer Review Process

The Service will conduct external peer review of this document through letters sent to four independent scientific reviewers with expertise in black bear biology and conservation, conservation biology, and wildlife biology and conservation.  Formal request for peer review will be made by individual letters to the experts with Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Louisiana State University, and USGS Southern Appalachian Field Laboratory at the University of Tennessee.  In addition, the Service will make a formal request for peer review from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. 

These reviews will occur concurrently with the public comment period for the proposed action.  Peer review of scientific information used in our analyses and the validity of the data will be requested.  The Service will use the information received from the peer review, as appropriate, to develop the final critical habitat rule for the Louisiana black bear.

About Public Participation

Public comments will be solicited with a Federal Register announcement on May 6, 2008 and the distribution by mail, e-mail, facsimile, and Service web sites and a press release of that announcement to interested parties.  The comment period will end on July 7, 2008.  A second comment period will open with the announcement in the Federal Register of the availability of the economic analysis. The Service will publish a notice in the Federal Register regarding the decision on the designation of critical habitat for the Louisiana black bear, including a summary of the results of the peer review.  This peer review plan is made available on this website to allow the public to monitor our compliance with the Office of Management and Budget’s Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review.

Contact

Deborah Fuller, USFWS, Louisiana Field Office, 646 Cajundome Boulevard, Suite 400, Lafayette, LA  70506, Phone:  337/291-3124